Puppies and Snowstorms
by idk-i-like-cats
Summary: Winter break isn't exactly ideal for dog labor. Candy/Castiel, T for Language.


**Chapter One**

Demon was a really, really great dog – don't get him wrong. It was just, when he did some things, it made Castiel want to rip his hair out, you know? Like when he came home from school and he found torn up throw pillows his dad got from India, or the one time he brought Deborah over and he tackled her so hard she shattered her tailbone when she hit the floor. But she kind of deserved that, so it didn't exactly count.

Winters in Amoris were cold. _Really _cold. Like the freaking asphalt turns into permafrost, okay? The roads get all kinds of icy and dangerous. The only people who dare go outside during those annual snowstorms are complete idiots and bundled to the nines.

Castiel was one of those idiots. There he was, a scarf wrapped around his neck and doubled up on sweaters as he set his windshield wipers faster to wipe away the thick layer of snow that was building up on his poor, innocent Jeep. The thing sounded like it was being pushed through a meat grinder as he cranked up the heat, his feet shivering near the hole in the floor. He really should get that fixed.

"Demon!" His shouts were swallowed up by the howling wind. "Demon, come here, boy!"

Curse his stupid dog for running outside. The gate in his backyard had been blown wide open and he had gone out to close it but of _course _Demon had to get out and make his Friday night a living hell. When that dog got out, he was gone for hours, Castiel chasing him down through the complex back alley system in the neighborhood. So far he'd been searching for approximately eleven minutes. It was only eleven degrees out – if the redhead didn't freeze within the night, Demon would.

"Demon, where are you?" He could feel his patience slipping already. Hours more of this and he would rather be lying dead in a ditch on the side of the road. As his car's tires slipped over a patch of ice, he figured he would be if Demon didn't decide to stop being so frustrating soon. He slumped over, narrow eyes scanning the distant horizon. His headlights barely cut through the night sky, only illuminating the snow that came rushing past.

When he turned the corner, he slammed on his breaks.

No.

Fucking.

Way.

A girl was in a mad fight with her dog and what looked like Demon – no, it was _definitely _him. She was bundled up in a hooded parka drawn tight around her face so he couldn't get a great look at her. He followed her from her arms pulling with all their might to where her red mittens were tugging on a purple leash – and down, down, to her Husky, and _ohmygod. Oh, my god. _

"Demon! Stop!" Castiel threw the door of his car open, feet giving out from underneath him as he stepped on a patch of ice. He winced when his elbows hit the ground, pain shooting up his upper arms. Ouch. When he looked back up, his dog was still at it. "Demon!"

The girl had finally heard his desperate cries and pulled at the scarf wrapped around her mouth. "Is this your dog?" She kept digging the heels of her boots into the snow for traction as she pulled, but every time her Husky moved an inch, Demon moved with her. "Get him off Angel!"

He scrambled to stand up, digging for Demon's leash in his pocket. "Demon, c'mere, boy!"

After a few minutes of awkward scrambling, he'd finally managed to get the leash on him and he had started trying to pull him off the poor other dog.

"What kind of owner lets their dog out like this? Are you crazy?"

He grunted as he pulled with all of his strength. "No! He got out on accident, my gate blew open!"

Her face contorted with anger or desperation – he couldn't really tell – and with one final yank, her dog was free from the clutches of Demon's wrath. "Finally," she breathed. The air went all silent except for the howling of the wind and the guttural grind of Castiel's Jeep.

"So, uh," she scratched at her exposed cheek. "Is he neutered?"

His face turned sour. "I'm not so cruel as to cut off my dog's balls, okay?"

The girl knocked her head back in agitation, groaning. "_Please, _don't let this be happening."

"Oh, is she not fixed?" He pointed at the Husky who's piercing blue eyes were glaring him down from her spot next to the girl's feet.

She ran a hand over her face, sighing. "If this dog gets pregnant, I'm screwed. She's not even mine."

"Then what are you doing walking her in the middle of a snowstorm?"

An incredulous look passed over her face. "She's my aunt's dog. I was just watching her…give me your number."

"What?"

"Give me your number in case Angel has puppies."

He hesitated. "What do you want me to do if she has puppies?"

The girl rolled her eyes and held out her phone expectantly. "So when she does you can come help me hand them out at Wal-Mart."

"All right, fine." He punched in his number and she fumbled to take it back with her mittens on. "What's your name, anyway?"

"Oh, it's Olive." She paused, looking at her phone to see his name. "Castiel? Isn't that the gay angel on that one show?"

He grimaced. That was a weak spot for him. "Whatever. Look, do you need a drive back to your house or not? It's the least I can do after your dog was brutally assaulted by mine."

She smirked. "Sure."

The inside of Castiel's Jeep could be referred to as post-apocalyptic. There were parking tickets strewn across the stained seats, and in the back, there were three amps and at least seventy CDs in sloppy piles or scattered along the floor. The hole in the floor by his feet was pushing up gusts of icy air that tossed around assorted McDonald's bags. Needless to say, Olive was repulsed.

"I mean, I know I only just met you like three minutes ago, but, uh, you should really clean out your car, man." She kicked around a dead beetle at her feet, her massive Husky plopping down in her lap. She wrapped her arms around her for warmth because his AC didn't work.

Demon took up residence in the back, panting happily with himself as he pushed more CDs on the floor. Castiel seemed to either not notice or care that his car probably belonged on an episode of _Hoarders. _

"What's his name?" She asked, her voice muffled by her scarf and Angel's fur. "He's a really handsome dog."

Castiel was glowing with pride. Demon was definitely a man's dog. "You didn't hear me before? It's Demon."

"Ah, take this left and then the next right. Wait – what?" Her face contorted with confusion. "Demon?" The dog in the back barked happily with recognition. "Your dog's name is Demon."

"Yes, we have already established this." He almost veered off the road as he took the turn, pausing to rub his dog's ears in the back.

"That's so weird. This is Angel." She smiled affectionately at the fluffy dog who panted happily in the cold breeze. "Demon and Angel. That's so weird."

"Whatever you say." The next turn went a little more smoothly. "What house is it?"

She craned her neck to look around the furry mass in her lap as he slowed down to a crawl. "The blue one, right there. With the porch swing."

He pulled into the driveway and Olive paused to rub Demon's head in a quick goodbye. "Thanks, Castiel. I'll text you after I take her to the vet, all right?" Angel seemed to be smiling as she hopped out of the car into the foot high snowfall. "You can come in for some coffee and dog treats if you want."

"I'm fine. Sorry about Demon."

She grinned cheekily, her scarf finally pulled down. The shade of red she was wearing for lipstick was blinding. "It's okay, if Angel has puppies, my mom might finally let me get my own dog instead of me watching Angel. Bye!" She waved, tottering up her snow covered steps until she got to her door. When she saw he was still in the driveway, she waved again, opening the door to her house and disappearing into the warm glow of her living room.

Even after Olive had gone to bed, Angel waited by the door until the morning.

* * *

Thanks for reading! I've never really been a huge fan of Castiel (-100 on the L'O'M, unfortunately) but a lot of my MCL friends are, so I figured I'd give this fanfiction a go. Olive wasn't even supposed to be in this fanfiction, she was a character from a scrapped Armin/Candy one I'd been working on. So, if you could please let me know if there's anything about his personality I missed, _please, _**_please,_**do so! It would be greatly appreciated.

Also, for my readers of Amarelia's Roses, I'm re-writing some of the beginning chapters because I didn't like them. Please be patient with me! The next chapter is already in the works, so don't worry.

Love,

Renee


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